The WHO warns: Europe will remain the world's largest consumer of tobacco by 2030

The World Health Organization (WHO) – Regional Office for Europe has published ten new fact sheets on tobacco, covering 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, based on the most recent data from the 10th^e WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic[1]. According to the most recent data, the European Region is on track to maintain the highest smoking prevalence in the world by 2030. Smoking affected approximately 173 million people there in 2024 and causes more than 1.1 million premature deaths annually from non-communicable diseases. Despite some progress in public policy, the WHO believes that significant gaps remain, that regulations are struggling to keep pace with the rapid development of new nicotine products, and that situations vary considerably, with some countries where the epidemic remains at dramatic levels.

This situation is particularly worrying among women and young people, coinciding with very high vaping rates.

The European Region is the only WHO region not on track to meet the global target of a 30% reduction in female smoking by 2025. The expected decrease between 2010 and 2025 would be only about 12%.

More than 40% of the world's adult female smokers, or approximately 62 million, live in this region, with a prevalence of 17.2%, nearly double the highest rate recorded in the Americas (9.1%). Adolescent girls aged 13 to 15 now have the highest smoking prevalence in the world for their age group in this region.

In total, approximately 4 million adolescents aged 13 to 15 use tobacco products in the region.

In addition to these high smoking rates, there is a growing use of e-cigarettes: the average prevalence reaches 14.3% among 13-15 year olds, the highest level in the world, with similar rates between girls and boys. Among adults, the region has the second highest global prevalence of e-cigarette use after the Americas, with approximately 31.4 million users.

According to Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, "« This is not a coincidence, but the result of a deliberate industry strategy targeting young people with flavored products and sophisticated social media marketing. Countries like Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands are proving that it is possible to combat this phenomenon by regulating new products, banning artificial flavors, and limiting advertising. All countries in the region should do the same to protect future generations. ".

Policies are applied unevenly and are fragmented between states.

The fact sheets show that most countries have tobacco monitoring systems and impose large health warnings on packs.

However, other measures remain insufficiently implemented:

Only 18 out of 53 countries apply complete bans on smoking in indoor public spaces and the development of smoke-free outdoor areas (beaches, areas around schools, terraces, etc.) remains limited, or at least uneven.

Across all countries, only twelve offer national smoking cessation helplines, with treatment coverage, and comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising and promotion exist in only 13 countries.

Finally, regarding the most effective measure, namely tax increases, this lever was not used by many countries during this period since 19 of them now offer cigarettes at a more affordable price than in 2014.

Finally, the regulation of electronic cigarettes and new nicotine products remains fragmented, strengthening the market for these products at the expense of public health.

Call for a strengthening of measures derived from the WHO treaty

The WHO calls on European states to address these gaps in accordance with their commitments under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws, and to extend tobacco control measures to new products. The international health agency emphasizes the need to protect health policies from industry interference in this process.

She points out that until 2025, the Southeast Asia region had the highest tobacco consumption rate in the world. This region has managed to achieve its reduction targets through the implementation of the strong measures provided for in the FCTC treaty and by adopting equally strict measures with regard to new tobacco and nicotine products.

Efforts in Europe are less uniform, and, according to the WHO, without accelerated action, current trends risk jeopardizing progress made by some countries and having a lasting impact on the health of future generations.

Kristina Mauer-Stender, regional advisor for tobacco control at WHO Europe, stated:« Decades of progress are at risk if policies fail to keep pace with the rapidly evolving nicotine market. Applying the same effective tobacco control tools to new and emerging products is essential if we are to protect young people and preserve public health gains. »[2].

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[1]Tobacco crisis: WHO European Region projected to remain worst globally by 2030, World Health Organization, published on 26 February 2026, accessed on 27 February 2026

[2]Tobi Thomas, European girls aged 13-15 have world's highest rate of tobacco use for age group, The Guardian, published on February 27, 2026, accessed the same day

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